The Portland daily press., 1887-07-29
CAPTAIN THUNDERsoLT.
A Forgotten Celebrity OF Half Gen.
tury Ago.


land a stranger Of remarkable appearance
named johnson. He was shy about talking
Of himself, or where he came from. He ap-
peared to be past 30 years old, Of almost
giant stature, compactly built. and evidently
possessed Of great strength He had pierre
ing black eyes and dark skin. People who
met him in the street turned 10 look after the
remarkable figure.
johnson took lodgings at the boarding
house Of Mrs. Davidson, the mother OF
Charles Davidson, the well remembered FIRE
engineer Of 1851 and years after. The house
was on Middle street, opposite King & Dex-
ter's. johnson opened a barber shop and
was evidently a skilled workman at the
trade. To those Of his patrons who were
inclined TO talk, he was affable and enter
tanning His striking and sturdy form
seemed better fitted for prison keeper than
for barber, but it brought him patronage.
He needed no advertisement. The ladies'
soon found out that he could dress their
hair, as well as that Of the other sex. John
son evidently understood human nature, and
made an effort to please his lady patrons.
He soon had more business than he could do
alone.
When shooting time came, johnson be-
came uneasy in his ishop, and frequently
went out with his gun and usually brought
In game. He seemed TO tire Of his Inactive
life. At that time wild pigeons were always
plenty In berry time. but now they have
found more attractive food In the wheat
fields of the West During his first summer
here, johnson went TO McKenney. who kept
a livery stable on Market street, where the
ice house now is. and asked for horse and
chaise for few days to go in pursuit Of
pigeons. After fixing the price per day, and
the time when he would probably return, tho
barber left for his shop, saying that he would
call for the horse and chaise early the next
morning. Jonas Mills, a grocer, owned and
occupied a store where the Old City Hall
stands, and was customer Of Johnson's,
and while In his shop johnson borrowed OF
Mills fifteen dollars, telling him Of his in
tended absence, and Mrs. Davidson testified
that he paid his board bill before he left.
A year or two before our narrative begins,
a highwayman in a chaise met Major BRAY
and wife, who were riding on Medford turn
pike, and In answer 10 his demand, seeing
that he was armed, Bray handed him his
money. The robber noticed Mrs. Bray hid
ing her watch chain, when he politely said;
MADAM, you are giving yourself unneces-
sary trouble; / never take anything from
the ladies'" The rObber politely raised his
hat TO Mrs. Bray at parting, and drove of.
On his arrival In Charlestown, Bray and his
wife so well described the highwayman that
one Of the several pursuers soon got on his
track and followed him to Springfield, where
he was arrested and brought 10 Cambridge.
He was identified by Bray, tried and hung,
(as the law then requiredJ at seehmere
point The daring robbery in so public a
thoroughfare, left no hope Of pardon, and
Martin (as he gave his name) began TO pre-
pare for his doom. He wrote "a confession"
giving the dolngs OF his gang in England,
| claiming that the turnpike robbery, and the
treatment Of the lady was according to the
rules OF the gang. lie gave several Instances
\ where they righted the wrongs Of helpless
| people, even TO their relief by money. Mar
| tin claimed to have been the second leader
| OF the gang under the name Of "Lightfoot."
| That the leader was man Of great power
| and judgment, who was called Captain
| Thunderbolt' from his appearance and char
acteristics. Martins book was printed and
| sold by thousands all over the country;
| first because such reading was popular, and
| second, people believed that however bad a
man was he usually told the truth when the
halter was hanging over him. How many
culprlts confess their crimes under the sys-
tenn OF life imprisonment?
Soon after johnson left town his room
mat.e casually said that perhaps he might not
return n, nd when pressed for his reason for
his suspiciofrs-s@-aye some secrets which john
son let drop. intinfsl ing tnat he was the vet-
ltdDie nero OF Maftll gs~-7' ..a-lS .s,off ~.
derbolt, and his person ansv~-eu WEI. wei LIE slo
| description as all agreed The t0r~I was s
| aroused, thinking 1t had been harbOring Sne
| daring outlaw. JOhnsOn's customers passed.
| their hands over their throats 10 be sure
| there were no cuts Intended 10 be enlarged
| by the barber at a future sitting Nervous
misses whose heads had passed under his
curling instrument put their hands over their
| eyes and screamed, while the older ladies
hoped he would come back and own up to
4 tnn frw k.NI
| the particulars in his pleasant and polite
| way; some more romantic and daring still,
wished he would steal them, and did not
care about the ransom.
The owner Of the horse ard ehaise did not
/ wait Tor the expiration OF the time set for
| JOhnson's return, but started a man named
| Timothy Chadb0urn In pursuit. Canada
| was then as now, an asylum for rOgues. and
| Chadbourn pointed that way. At Fryeburg
| he heard Of his man, passed on through the
notch Of the mountains to ST. Johnsbury,
| and finally found johnson at .Swanton,. on
| the shore Of Lake Champlain, at a hotel
Chadbourn knowing Of JOhnson's strength,
STsS " 9sae Sde Ssr RsTy bs e sheriff and
IL best to walt until his man had gone TO his
room, and as he supposed 10 sleep. When
they pushed the door open. he was lying on
his bed with his clothes on. He sprang from
| the bed, cried out robbers" and rushed up
| on his assailants unarmed, (revolvers had
not then been invented) and knocked them
| down one after another until he came 10 an
lrishman OF great strength, who was armed
| with cudgel, and was very expert In the art
| Of welding 1t. He got In a blow with his
I single stick" which brought johnson to the
| floor, and with the help Of all, he was held
| there until he was hand cuffed, and as his
| captors thought, manageable. The passage
| from Swanton 70 St.Albans was TO be made by
| water. Soon after leaving Swanton In a row.
| boat, the prisoner suddenly and with ease
| drew his hands. which were very small, out
OF the manacles, and seized a swOrd-cane
| from the officer, and would have become
| master of the boat but for the Irishman with
| his shilalah. A scientific set-tOO now took
| place. Pat defended himself from john
sons thrusts, broke his.sMoTd and stunned
| him with blow on the head with his club,
| when the prisoner gave in. From the pecu-
liar formation Of JohnSon's wrists and hands
| 1t was found that he could slip his handouts
at his pleasure, and 1t became necessary TO
plnion hin with cords. From st. Adams
| jail the prisoner was brought to Portland
| under strsng guard in much fear.
AT the October term Of the court, Judge
| Mellen presiding, johnson was arraigned
and plead not guilty to the indictment.
Erastns roote OF Wiscasset, was the attor-
ney general. and so gentlemanly did he al
ways treat prisoner that in sOme cases he
/ seemed to vie with their paid attorney In
| setting forth the favorable points In their
| case. Beside his gentlemanly manners Mr..
/ F0Ote was splendid looking man, whom 1t
was pleasure to hear while performing his
/ official duties. He was the first attorney
| general Of Maine. Stephen Longfellow de-
| Tended the accused. and claimed an acquittal
on the ground that johnson did not fix a
| time for his return Of the horse and ehaise,
| but was to have them for an indefinite time
| at price per diem. IL was thought at the
time that II the jury had not heard Of the
mischievOus pamphlet. that they would have
| cleared the prisoner; but the verdict was
/ guilty. The popular belief that he was Cap
tain Thunderbolt required It, The court
| room was packed TO suffOeatiOn, and so con
tlnued until the Judge ordered Clerk William
| L. Vaughan TO record thirty days solitary
/ and three years labor" For the lack Of a
i labor prison in Maine, 1 think johnson
| served out his sentence at Charlest0wn,
/ Mass.
| While johnson was In prison he became a
/ reformed man. and on his release returned 20
/ Portland. He admitted that he had assumed
/ a name, and said that his true name was
Richard Relhan. He looked mp his former
| friends, acknowledged his faults, and asked
to be forgiven. saying that he had received
the forgiveness Of his Maker lie opened
barber shop under his true name, and was
patronized by many Of his former customers
/ and others.
| In 1880 Relhan was baptized by Rev. Mr.
Leonard and received Into the communion
Of the Federal Street Rpptist church. lie